Hurling the Past into the Present

Harping back to the founding fathers to legitimize a conservative worldview is a tried and tested political tactic in the United States. Inevitably it requires some retrofitting to make 18th century ideals make sense in our 21st century context, but this approach gains traction because a familiar story is comforting. Suddenly the public has yet again accepted a hackneyed interpretation of the past simply because it happened in the hazy “romance” of just that: the past.

Until Hamilton, that is. If there is a place where history allows us to rethink and understand the present, it is here on Broadway at The Richard Rogers Theater (and before that at The Public). Lin-Manuel Miranda’s inspired opus on the life and times of Alexander Hamilton hurls us headlong into the reality of 2015 by blending hip hop into musical theatre, awakening our senses and urging us to ask: Who tells our story?

With the Black Lives Movement and (im)migration debate taking root across the United States and the world, this is a salient question. The creative team of Hamilton understands how to use the power of musical theater to do what only this art form can do: take us on an epic, sensual, emotionally sophisticated journey using an exhilarating musical form to create a collective experience that leaves the audience breathless. The revolutionary force of hip hop matches the depiction of the early chaotic days of revolutionary America and the passionate energy of Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton and Burr. It crystalizes the beauty of the human condition taking us beyond the confines of race, gender or history and reminds us of who we were then and where we could be now. Crafted, researched and executed by the formidable talents of actor/creator Lin-Manuel Miranda (music, lyrics, book), Thomas Kail (director) and Andy Blankenbuehler (choreographer), the energy of the story, lyrics, music, staging and dance are perfectly tuned to the fire of the characters’ desires and ambitions. Hamilton demands to be taken seriously as a potent piece of social commentary and an accomplished work of art.

Bringing the fractious relationship of the founding fathers and the birth of America to life with clarity and freshness means that there is a certain inevitability to Hamilton becoming the new standard bearer of a previously over-romanticized period in history. It is also happens to be an unforgettable night out at the theatre.

Photo courtesy of Sara Krulwich/New York Times